Fiber closure for jars and jelly-glasses.



PATENTED JULY 31, 1906 G. T. REED. IBER CLOSURE FOR JARS AND JELLY GLASSES.

I W {S Wanna I nular top ridge 3, connecting the walls or UNITED STATES PATENT onrron GEORGE THORN REEDgOF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTAL JAR & BOTTLE STOPPER COMPANY, OF BALTI- MORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION.

.N'o. semen gS'peciflcation of Letters Patent.

:atented. July 31, 1906.

Application filed 111 573.1905. Serial No- 268,082.

To all whom it'may concern: o.

Be it known that I, GEoReE THORN REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fiber Closures for Jars and J elly Glasses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 4

My invention is directed to means for preventing the deterioration of preserves and analogous substances put up in jars, jellyglasses, and the like; and for this purpose I have produced a closure of cap form made of wood-pulp and paraffin and having a construction of outer and inner annular walls or flanges adapted to have anelastic, sticking, and adhesive scaling function upon the outer and upon the inner walls and the edge of a jar to eflect' an air-tight sealing, such elastic and adhesive walls being integral with the crown or disk of the closure and-forming a self-binder fastening in which each wall or flange in applying the cover will yield to any irregularity in the glass, while the element of paraflin which gives to the closure under heat a sticking character will cause its Walls to stick to the glass, -rendering it thereby airtight.

The closure is non-corrosive and is not affected by acids and its preparation renders it antiseptic and free from germs.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my improved fibrous cap-closure, which has both arr-elastic and an adhesive function in its sealing capacity as an envelop cover on the outer and inner walls of the Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a jar having my improved closure-cap in vertical section, the cap being in partial perspective. Fig. 2 is a like view of a diflerentshaped cap. Fig. 3 shows my improved cap as applied to a jelly-glass. Fig. i shows the cap in perspective.

The cover is of cap form, preferably of woodpulp and parafin in suitable proportions and pressed by dies into disk form with an annuar circumferential flange or wall 1, an inner circumferential flange or wall 2, and an an- ,ter joins the inner edge of the groove.

flanges and forming an interior groove 4, surrounding the crown or disk 5, "so that the lat- The walls or flanges forming the grooves may havevsharp or rounded angles or corners and the sealing Walls or flanges may be of equal or of unequal width and each has a plain surface, so as to have a saddle fitting over and upon the edge and upon the walls of the jar, each closure-wallfitting, by reason of its compositeelastic material, with a binding function at every part of the annular walls upon the outer and upon the inner walls of the jar.

The wood fiber gives a certain elasticity to every part of the closure, while theparafiin gives a homogeneous and tough quality to the wood fiber and also an adhesive or sticking quality, and so far as I know and can find i am the first to produce a fibrous enveloping closure for a jar having exterior and interior joint-forming walls or flanges, each wall having an elastic and an adhesive sealing functionupon the inner and upon the outer Walls of the jar. In applying the cap-closure there is no danger of breaking the glass, and the element which gives the adhesive or sticking function of the sealing-Walls of the cap is rendered active and effective by subjecting the closure'to a low degree of heat before applying the cap, or the heat of the jar imparted to it from its contents will be suflicient to develop the adhesive quality of the paraflin when the closure is firmly applied, or this to the jar in a damp condition, so that in drying the walls or flanges'of the closure wlll shrink tight and close all the crevices in the walls of the jar, making the closure s'elf-sealing and self-fastening.

Tn bleaching of.the pulp to render it white all germs are killed, and the cap when formed is elastic at every part and can be stretched in pressin it' on the jar, and this with the adhesive and the shrinking functions will maintain an air-tight and a fastened closure.

The closure is preferably of uniform thickness, and the crown or disk is preferably convex to have a yielding bracing function upon the inner-wall or flange, tending to press said flange against the inner wall of the jar. Tn packing the jars for transportation the ner wall, and in either case the walls of the jar are unbroken by shoulder or roove, so that the closure is easilyapplied and removed and may be ornamented and made of various colors. I prefer to make the closure-cap from wood-pulp; but obviously equivalent material may be used which will have 'an elastic sealing function upon the jar-walls, while paraffin or its equivalent will impart to the walls an adhesive quality.

The importance .of bulging or convexing the crown of the cap or closure resides in its capacity -to yield to be fitted upon jars the diameters of which maybe of uneven circle or slightl larger than the outer graspingwalls of t e cap; but this advantage is only possible in a cap of the yielding character described. Another advantage of this cap is the spring function of its double graspingwalls allows them to be'fitted and sprung upon walls of slightly greater thickness than the space between the grasping-walls and to conform to any unevenness or irregularity in the circle of the jar-walls. This expansivespring function is rendered active in appl ing pressure upon the convex crown, and t e pressure being removed the grasping-walls will, in contracting, having a binding force, and this function will render the closure-cap eflective as a bottle-stopper when applied under heat.

I claimr j l. A fiber closure for'vessels having as a component an adhesive element and comprising a central disk, an inner annular wall or flange integral with said disk, an outer annular wall integral with the inner wall, and an annular ridge connecting and forming a groove between said walls, the walls of the groove being adhesive in their closure func- 'tion.

2. Afiber closure for jars having as a compo-- nent an adhesive element and having a central adhesive, and a bulging or convex crown joining the edge of theinner wall whereby to cause an expansion in the diameter of the grasping-walls in applying the cap and the sealing of the ar-walls.

'5. A cap closure for vessels formed of wood-pulp and paraffill having circular double walls, or flan es, each adapted to be rendered adhesive un er heat to adapt them to stick to and seal the Walls of the vessel.

6. A fiber cap for jars and the like having an adhesive vsubstance and formed with a plurality of annular circumferential walls or flan es caused to have a binding function to ren er it self-sealing and self-fastening when applied under heat. a

7. 'As a .new article of manufacture a closure for vessels consisting of athin flexible cap of fiber including an adhesive element and adapted to fit and inclose the inner and the outer walls of the vessel and having a sealing and sticking function.

8. A removable flexible cap for vessels formed of fiber pulp includin an adhesive element and with an inner an anouter wall or flange adapted to inclose and to seal the inner and the outer walls of the neck of the vessel with a flexible sticking function.

In testimony whereof I. have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

" GEORGE THORN REED. Witnesses:

JAMES M. BRooKs, HENRY M. SOHOEFFNER. 

